On a recent United flight, passengers complained after a flight attendant told them they could not move into empty rows with more legroom unless they paid extra. I believe United was right to enforce this rule.
United Was Justified In Denying Free Moves To Extra Legroom Seats
View From The Wing reported on a case in which passengers were kept in the back of a half-empty United aircraft rather than being allowed to move forward into Economy Plus seats on a flight from Houston to Honduras. While I understand the frustration, the situation is actually very straightforward: if you want extra legroom, you pay for extra legroom.
Why “Free For All” Seating Is Not A Solution, Even After The Aircraft Door Closes
United sells extra legroom “Economy Plus” seats at a premium (either directly on a transactional basis or via elite status recognition for loyal passengers who fly the airline regularly). Customers who pay the fee expect a quieter, more spacious section. If others can simply move up for free after takeoff, it dilutes the value of what paying customers purchased. Even giving it away after the doors are closed incentivizes passengers who want extra space not to pay for it in advance. The jump from regular economy to extra-legroom economy might not be like the jump from economy class to business class, but the principle is the same.
Airlines increasingly depend on ancillary revenue from seat assignments, upgrades, and baggage fees. If passengers could freely upgrade themselves into premium seating when unsold, many would never pay upfront…would anyone argue otherwise? Over time, this would undermine the revenue model and drive up costs elsewhere. Much like at a concert or sporting event, your ticket determines your seat, regardless of how many empty premium seats remain.
There are also operational reasons. Flight attendants need to know where passengers are seated for safety, especially near exit rows. Weight and balance can be affected when passengers bunch in one part of the cabin. But most importantly, enforcing a consistent rule keeps things simple and avoids confusion, disputes, potential safety issues, and claims about fairness.
Consistency is vital. If crews allowed seat-hopping on some flights but not others, passengers would perceive unfairness and argue with crews. A clear standard (here, that extra legroom requires payment) sets expectations for everyone and reduces friction onboard.
CONCLUSION
United was justified in telling passengers they could not move into Economy Plus seats without paying. Extra legroom is a product sold at a premium. Allowing free moves would undercut revenue, frustrate paying customers, and create inconsistency in policy enforcement. The rule may feel harsh in the moment and even crazy when the back-half of the cabin is full and the front-half is empty, but it ultimately ensures fairness, clarity, and integrity across the airline’s product.
image: @Stacy_Ruth_ / X
Same concept for “self-upgrading” to business class cabins. I hate it when I have an empty seat next to me in economy plus then after the boarding door closes someone moves up to that empty seat. Sometimes the FA moves them which always seems questionable. United is good about allowing people to view the seat map even after the flight is fully boarded, leaving for better accountability. Other carriers not so much.
I concur. There are now often 4 classes on board.
1. business Class
2. premium economy
3. branded Economy Plus or Comfort + or other name
4. economy class
There is a potential for 5 classes if there is First Class. On some narrowbody domestic flights, there is First Class instead of business class but it usually cannot compare with the international lie flat business class seat.
I am booked for a flight that is nearly full in economy but mostly empty in the economy class with slightly more legroom.
There should be a curtain closing off economy class from the other classes. If it is possible to engineer a low weight, low cost movable seats so the classes can be adjusted, that might be popular with airlines if not too costly. Nobody wants to pay for extra leg room economy class if it can be obtained free either by assigned seating near boarding or after boarding.
More space and quiet? You inadvertently make a good argument for no small children in business class.